Healthy Habits for Contact Lens Wear

When properly cared for, contact lenses like the Acuvue Oasys 24 Pack from Lens.com provide a simple solution for daily vision correction. While contact lenses offer many benefits, they’re not entirely risk-free. To avoid infections and complications, it’s important to develop healthy habits right off the bat. Here are a few simple guidelines regarding the care of lenses, contact cases, and solution that every wearer should follow in addition to their eye doctor’s recommendations:

Basic Lens Care

In order to avoid infection or irritation washing your hands before handling contacts is essential. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry them with a clean lint-free towel before handling your contact lenses. It’s important that this is done each and every time you touch your lenses with your hands.

Unless prescribed to do the opposite, removing your lenses before sleeping is an easy way to prevent irritation. While this habit may be easier to include into your bedtime routine, one that requires a little more mindfulness is avoiding any contact with water. The only liquid that should ever touch your contact lenses is disinfecting solution, so it’s critical to remove your lenses before showering, swimming, or entering a hot tub.

Supply Maintenance

Not only is the care of your contact lenses important when they’re in use, but the maintenance of your supplies also plays a part in avoiding infection. Once contact lenses are removed they should be rubbed and rinsed with a disinfecting solution. Ask your eye doctor for a recommendation on which solution is best for you. As previously mentioned, water is not suitable for your lenses and should never be used to clean them. Saliva is also not a substitute for lens solution and should be avoided at all costs.

Along with contact lenses, its accompanying case needs to be cleaned as well. The contact lens solution should also be used to rinse out the case. Again, do not clean with water. Once the lens case has been rubbed and rinsed with solution, empty out any remaining liquid and dry with a clean tissue. The case can then be stored upside down with the caps removed and set aside. Another healthy habit to include in your lens care is to swap your case out for a new one every three months. This will help to provide a cleaner environment for your contact lenses when they’re not in use.

Solution

Now that we have covered lens and case care, the contact lens solution is the last key component to keeping your eyes healthy. The major mistake that can happen here is mixing old or used solution with one that is new. Avoid the temptation of combining an older bottle that has just a little bit of liquid left with your new one. The health of your eyes is most important, so opt for a fresh bottle of lens solution and toss out the old one.

Following these guidelines will set you on the path to healthy habits and healthy eyes. Speak up if you have any questions about the maintenance of your lenses. Your eye doctor is your best resource and is there to help. As always, if you do experience any pain or irritation remove your contact lenses and call your eye doctor immediately.